Refrigerating counter



Nova 12, 1929. F. E. DENNISON REFRIGERATING COUNTER Filed Dec. 10, 1926 Patented Nov, 12, 12s

FRENCH E. DENNISON, F BELOIT, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR NATIQNAL REFRIG its-'1.

TION OOBPDRATIGN, OF BELOIT, WISCONSIN, A COMORATIGN OF DE anm nrenna'rme counrm Application filed December 10, 1926. gerial 1%., 158,751?" This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to a display counter or refrigerating showcase.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a cooling element adapted to bedisposed in a display counter, which will store up the refrigerating energy of the refrigerating system when in operation, and utilize the stored energy when the system is idle, thereby equalizing and distributing the load on the machine, so as to prolong its idle periods and increase its efficiency.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved form of display counter construe tion, in which the cold currents of air originating from the expansion coil or other cooling element is caused to be circulated upwardly so as to evenly distribute the cool air throughout the display counter.

A further object of the invention is to provide a circulating means in combination with a display counter, and in which the circulating means does not obstruct the view to the display counter.

These and other objects are accomplished by providing a construction and an arrangement of the various parts in the manner hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is the front elevational view, partially in cross-section of a display counter showing my inven-' tion embodied therein,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a'modified form of the invention.

In the construction of display counters, such as have been used heretofore in meat markets and the like, in which the cooling element such as the expansion coils are nor- I'nall located to one side of and below a portion of the shelves on which meat or other perishable goods are supported, it has been found practically impossible to maintain the up er portion of the display counters at a su ciently low temperature to prevent perishable goods from decomposing without providing some device which would obstruct the view of the goods within the display manner well counter. I have overcome these ditficulties by providing a constructionin which the cold air is caused to be circulated insuch a v 1 manner that the cold air is equally distributed in the upper part of the showcase as ere with or obstruct acomplete view or the goods within the display counter.-

In illustrating one embodiment of my in venticn, l have shown the same in. connec tion with a show-counter comprising a base frame generally indicated by reference charactor 10, which is. provided with a mechanical refrigerating apparatus generall re ferred to by reference character 11. cent ed on the base 10 is a display case 12 which is provided on its forward side with three transparent panes of glass 13 and which, in turn, are sup orted in the casin 12 in any own. The top 0. the casing 12 is provided with. horizontal panes M, which are likewise mounted in the casing and secured thereto in any well-known manner.

The rear side of the casing 12 is similarly provided with inclined panes of glass 15, which are slidably mounted. in the frame structure 12 of the casing in any welhknown I manner.

Extending from the casing 12 and in communication with the compartment within the casing 12 is an oil-set compartment 16 which isformed by a horizontally extending wall 17 and a vertically extending wall 18. The corn partment 16 extends substantially throughout the length of the display counter, and has mounted therein an expansion coil 19 which is operatively connected with the mechanical refrigerating apparatus 11 in a manner well understood in the art. Mounted'on the floor or bottom 20 is the usual'horizontal shelf 21,

which is supported on suitable stands 22.

Mounted on the shelf 22 are suitable tra 's 23;

adapted to contain me'at'24: or other peris able product. p

One of the novel features'ot' my present invention is the provision of a glass partition or wall, as shown at 25, which is secured in a longitudinally extending slot 26 formed. between an upwardly turned edge 27 of the shelf isc ' 25 to the forward edge of the shelf 21, I have 21 and longitudinally extending angle bracket 28 which, in turn, is secured to the shelf 21. by securing the glass partition wall provided a passageway extending from-adjacent the expansion coil 19 between the shelf 21 and the bottom 20 of the casing, which, in turn, communicates with a passageway be tween the glass partition 25 and the "glass panes 13 of the casing 12, so that the cold air is forced to pass in a direction'indicated by the arrows, causing the coldair to travel beneath the shelves forwardly thence upwardly to the upper part of the casing and at the same time providing a glass partition. wall 25, so that a clear vision or Viewot. the goods within the showcase is not obstructed,

In the modified form shown in Fig. 3, l have provided an additional guide or partition wall 29, which is mounted between the wall 25 and the front 13. y This uiding and partition wall 29, like the wall 2:), is made of glass and supported in slotted arms 30 formed in the supporting stands 22. The glass partition wall 29 extends upwardly in an inclined position parallel with the panes 13 of the easing and extends upwardly a relatively higher distance than the partition or guiding wall 25, so that the cold air passing between the partition glass 29 and the panes 13 is discharged at a relatively higher point in'the casing 12 than the cold air being discharged irom the passageway formed between the partition wall 25 and the partition wall 29, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. In the modified form in Fig. 3 the arrowsindicate the mannor in which the cold air emanating from the expansion coils of the refrigerating apparatus is discharged and forced beneath the shelf 21 where they are directed upwardly between the passages formed onthe opposite sides of the partition wall 29 and distributed throughout the upper portion of the display counter, elfectin an equal distribution of the cold air throng out the show-counter and maintaining the display counter at substantially the same temperature from top to bottom and at the same time not interfering with a complete display of the product within the display casing.

In counters of this character, the frequent opening of the slide doors 15 for the removal and replacement of the food products causes frequent starting and stopping of the refrigerating machine which is automatically controlled by the temperature within the counter through the medium of a thermostat 31 located preferably in proximity to one end of the coil 19.

For the purpose of storing, up the refrigerating energy of the machine and equalizing the load, I have mounted within the coil 19 a cylindrical drum or brine tank 32 through which the expansion pipe 33 lead 111g from the expanslon Valve to the far and of the coil 19 extends. The drum closed at its ends and filled with brine or the like is within the drum abstracts heat from the surrounding brine which accordingly serves as a storage element of refrigerative energy and abstracts heatfrom the surrounding chamber for a considerable period after theeoil 19 has ceased to function, when the machine has stopped. The idle periods of the machine are thereby considerablyprolonged and the efficiency of the apparatus is correspondingly increased. The drum. will he provided with filling and drain openings normally closed by plugs, valves, or other preferred closures.

While in the drawings Ihave illustrated preferred embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be unnecessarily restricted to the specific construction of the invention illustrated in the dra-win s and described in the specification, for-obmously other forms and modifications may be made without depart-- ing from the spirit and scope of my invention as expressed in the following claims;

I claim:

1. In a refrigerating apparatus, t-he'combination of an inclosed display counter, an expansion coil, of arefrigerating system dis posed within said counter, adrum adapted to contain brine or the like. arranged within but supported independently of said coil, I

and means including a deflector blade for controlling the circulation =of air [within the counter.

2. In the combination with a refrigerating display counter, comprising a casing having a transparent pane on one side thereof, a compartment in communication with said casing having a cooling element mounted therein, a shelf mounted in said casing, and a partition wall mounted in said casing adjacent the pane in said casing whereby the cool airemanating from said cooling element is circulated between said wall and pane and upwardly throughout said casing.

;,3. In the combination with a refrigerating display counter, comprising a casing having transparent paneson one side thereof, a comartment' in communication with said casing raving a cooling element mounted therein, a shelf mounted in said casing, and a glass partition wall mounted in said casing and extending upwardly for a considerable distance adjacent the pane in said casing whereby the pane whereby'the a1r emanating from sai cool air emanating from said cooling element is circulated throughout said casing.

4. In combination with a display counter having a casing, a transparent glass secured to one side of said casing, said casing being provided with a compartment, a cooling element mounted in said compartment, a shelf mounted in said casing between said cooling element and said glass pane, a partition wall secured to said shelf adj acent'said glass pane whereby the air emanating from said cooling element is forced under said shelf and discharged in the upper .part of said casing through the passageway between said partition wall and said glass pane.

5. In combination with a display counter having a casing, to one side of said casing, formed integrally with said casing and communicating therewith, a cooling element mounted in said compartment, a shelf mount: ed in said casing between said cooling element and said glass pane, a glass partition wall secured to said shelf adjacent said glass cooling element is forced under said shelf and discharged in the upper part of said casing through the passageway between said partition wall and said glass pane.

6. In combination with a display counter, including a casing having a transparent glass on one side thereof, a compartment formed on the other side thereof communicating with said casing, a shelf mounted in said casing forming a-passage between the bottom of said casing and said shelf, a glass partition wall mounted in said casing adjacent said glass pane forming a passage therebetween and communicating with said first named passage, whereby the air -clis charged from said cooling element is forced through both of said passages and discharged in the upper part of -said casing. V

7. In combination with the display counter, acasing for said display counter having a transparent glass secured on one side thereof, a cooling clementmounted on the other side thereof, a shelf mounted on said casing between said cooling element and said glass pane forming a passage between said shelf and the bottom of said casing, and a partition wall mounted adjacent said glass pane forming a passageway therebetween and communicating with said first-named passage, whereby the cool air emanating from said cooling element is forced through said passageway and discharged in the upper por-' tion of said casing.

v8. In combination with having a casing, side of said casing, a cooling element mounted on the other side of the said casing, a shelf mounted insaid casing between said element and glass, and .a means mounted in said casing a display counter for causing the cool air to circulate. beneath.

a transparent glass secured a compartmenta transparent glass on one w'all secured to said shelf adjacent said glass pane for forming a passage therebetween communicating between said first named passage, whereby the cool air emanating from said cooling element is circulated from the bottom of said casing to the upper part thereof.

10. In combination with a refrigerating display counter, a display casing having a transparent glass pane mounted on one side thereof, refrigerating coils mounted on the other side of said casing,

and said g ass pane, a substantially vertically d extending partltion wall mounted in said casing adjacent said pane, a second partition a shelf mounted in said casin between said refrigerating coils wall mounted in said casing between said first-named partition and said glass pane forming passageway on the opposite sides of said last named partition wall, whereby the cool air emanating from said refrigerating coil is discharged from said passageways at different elevations in the said casing.

11. In combination with a refrigerating display counter having a displaycasing, a transparent glass pane, mounted on one side of said casing, a refrigeratin in saidcasingi, a shelf mounte in said casin between-s'ai refrigerating coils and said glass pane, a substantially vertically extending glass partition wall mounted in said casing adjacent said pane, a second partition wall mounted in said casing between said first-named partition and said glass pane forming passageway on the opposite sides of last named partition wall, whereby the cool air emanating from said refrigerating coil is discharged from said passageways at different elevations in the said casing.

12. In combination with a refrigerating display counter having adisplay casing, a transparent glass pane, a cooling element mounted in said casing, an upwardly extending partition wall mounted in said casing adjacent said pane, a second partition wall mounted in said casing between said first main partition and said glass pane forming coil mounted passageways on the opposite sides of said last named partition wall, said partition walls being of different heights, and means for delivering cool air emanating fromsaid cooling element'to said passageways. 

